Giving back responsibly

Giving back responsibly

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Today, as part of our Madiba centenary celebrations, the Film industry Fund handed a new classroom to Umzomhle Early Childhood development Centre in Khayelitsha. The donation was to the value of R100 000,00. Breadline Africa match funded this project.

We once again partnered with Breadline Africa in this incredibly worthy cause.

It is not insignificant that our President has this week handed half of his salary to the Nelson Mandela foundation specifically for ECD’s and that Madiba whom we celebrate this month cherished children and recognized that education is the key to our success.

It is proven that much of a child’s cognitive development takes place before grade 1 and this is why it is so important to support these institutions.

Mama Elizabeth, the principal of the school which she has run for 21 years was overjoyed at the new edition which will allow them to split their pre grade r and grade r classes and provide better for the 160 students.

We also gave the 160 kids a small lunch pack each consisting of three fruits and a small packet of sweets.

On Wednesday 18th July, Mandela Day, we handed a cheque for R50 000 to Atlantic Hope based in an area where we often film. (its a safe house so we cannot share more info on where it is)

Atlantic Hope was founded by Marilyn May, an Enrolled Staff nurse registered with the South African Nursing Council and a member of the Society of Private Nurse Practitioners of South Africa.

She has over a decade of experience and expertise as a nurse in well-baby clinics, as a lactation counsellor, and as an Advanced Doula registered through WOMBS. She has successfully completed the Safe Care and Foster Parent Training Programme at Agape Community Services.

Marilyn is recognised by the Provincial Western Cape Department of Social Development as an approved safety parent, with a focus on child protection, and works closely with numerous Social Services in the Western Cape and surrounds.

Established in 2010, Atlantic Hope is a safety house for vulnerable babies, providing temporary and immediate placement within a safe and loving environment.

They provide basic developmental, physical and mental care. Medical needs are prioritised, and babies are fed, kept warm, and given affection in a stable environment.

Atlantic Hope is legally approved to house up to six babies at one time, for short stays. We look to accommodate more babies for longer stays, providing care whilst legal decisions and proceedings determining the child’s future are conducted. This vision would require larger premises as currently we operate out of the founder’s home.

On Saturday 28th October 2017 Film Industry Fund Rescuer One was handed to The NSRI in Strandfontein. This donation was valued at R250 000,00

NSRI Station 16 situated at Strandfontein beach covers an area from Monwabisi to St. James which is a significant portion of False Bay and also an area inundated with bathers in the summer season. This area is also an area which contains many beaches often used by the Film Industry. Film Industry Fund Rescuer One will allow Station 16 to put up a satellite station at Monwabisi for the festive season and have a unit at Strandfontein which will mean that their response time to potential drowning will significantly decrease. The fact that this vessel is jet operated will also mean that the potential for injury to bathers will be removed as this unit can navigate safely past the bathers to perform a rescue but also to be used for crowd control in the swimming areas.
This is only the second such unit in operation on South Africa’s coastline; the other rescuer is deployed in Plettenberg Bay.

Today The Film Industry Fund handed a cheque for R50 000 to Khulisa Social Solutions for their #Streetscapes project.

Homelessness is a persistent and pervasive problem and solutions are neither simple nor easy. Or could they be?

R 50 000 donation by the Film Industry Fund to a Cape Town based success story, Streetscapes project, shows it does not have to be like that.

Streetscapes is a project by non-profit Khulisa Social Solutions, that has served poor communities over 20-years countrywide. It demonstrates what can be achieved when government, business sector, residents and NGOs work together.

Streetscapes offers a simple yet revolutionary way to tackle homelessness. We harness job creation and care for our environment in order to provide a real solution. The fast-growing market for fresh organic vegetables create an opportunity for a unique social project.

Sales from Streetscapes gardens employ homeless people who have nowhere to go. Without an intervention, the hopelessness of their situation would likely result in many falling into downward spiral into drugs and crime – currently wreaking havoc in our city.

The first work pilot started in 2015 after we asked a group of court clients what could stop their downward spiral. “Work!” they said. And they were right. After six months 77% had moved off the streets, 68% had addressed drug and drinking problems significantly.

The two existing Streetscapes gardens have helped over 30 street people rebuild their lives and become positively contributing citizens again. The demand for our produce, however, exceeds the supply – It’s time to launch the third Streetscapes garden.

Doug Emauel, president of the Knysna Rotary Club accepts a cheque of R50 000,00 from the Film Industry Fund in aid of their Fire relief efforts.

On 7th June 2017, wildfires, fanned by gale force winds, spread around the Garden Route, affecting an area from Sedgefield to Plettenberg Bay, including the town of Knysna. Knysna, in particular, was severely impacted with fires raging through many formal and informal suburbs. Few suburbs were spared, although many individual homes within each suburb were indeed spared.

Estimates indicate that hundreds of buildings have been burned to the ground (most of them individual homes), in both the formal and informal suburbs. Over 8000 individuals are homeless as a result of the fires. The demise of our wildlife must be immense.

Whilst most of the fires had been brought under control by Friday 9th June, high winds on Saturday 10th June caused many fires to reignite, especially on the western side of town. Brenton and Buffalo Bay areas were in the way of the flames and were evacuated. Sadly, many homes were burned down in Brenton too. In Knysna itself, many residents, including all the patients from the Epilepsy Centre were evacuated for the second time.

Fires also flared up in Port Elizabeth, Sedgefield and in Plettenberg Bay. The Plett airport was affected and closed for a while.

By Sunday 11th June, the wind had died down and firefighters, including airborne units, were attending to the last of the fires. Most, if not all, were either extinguished or under control.

Donations ranging from blankets, food, clothing, other hard goods and cash are being received by various organisations, almost on a daily basis. Being mid-winter, blankets, bedding and mattresses were a priority. Short term humanitarian aid has been phenomenal and there is plenty to go around.

Rotary manpower, amongst other assistance, was used at distribution points and the Rotary Club of Knysna has set up a Fire Relief subcommittee and an associated fund, to manage and finance specific needs as they are identified. The Club has a representative who attends the municipal disaster management meetings and it is these meetings which guide the Rotary Sub Committee decision making. Present Rotary focus is on funding building materials to assist reconstruction of dwellings in informal settlements. Kits, containing all materials for easy erection of small houses, are a particular focus at present but not yet approved. Other needs will be identified and addressed as the relief efforts proceed.

Over 400 middle and upper class houses were destroyed as well as about 150 informal dwellings. The middle and upper class families are staying temporarily with friends or family so they are not in immediate need of feeding, clothing or shelters. There are numerous local support groups helping the poorer community.

The real problems are yet to come. Homeless families, who have lost everything, need to restart their lives. We are receiving messages daily from people who typically have no insurance cover. The problem will become one of money. We have set up a disaster relief fund which is receiving contributions for Rotary Clubs around the country and overseas, other organisations and numerous individuals. – Details courtesy of the Knysna Rotary Club

Knysna and surrounds has been used for many years by our industry due to it’s picturesque scenery, it only seemed fitting that our Industry contributes to rebuilding this community through the Film Fund – Rudi Riek.

The Film Industry Fund helping to bring a love of reading to Kleinberg Primary School in Ocean View

On Friday 31st March 2017 The Film Industry Fund handed over a complete library building stocked with 3000 new books all to the value of R270 000,00 to Kleinberg Primary School in Oceanview close to Kommetjie.

South Africa’s literacy levels have been described by National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) CEO, Dr Nick Taylor, as “a national catastrophe and a disaster for the country and future economic growth”. One of the most serious problems is that the majority of primary schools in South Africa are severely under resourced with children lacking access to enough of the right kind of books to read. Indeed NEEDU found that the majority of foundation phase classrooms had only two or three available books for learners to read through a whole year – this despite developmental recommendations that children at this stage should read a book or two a week! Sadly, most communities also do not have local libraries and most homes cannot afford to buy books, exacerbating the problem and inhibiting the development of a culture and love of reading in our youngest citizens.

Through the active support of literacy promotion organisations like help2ead and Breadline Africa, with generous support from The Film Industry Fund, this situation is changing for learners at Kleinberg Primary who today have access to an abundance of literacy resources, a great reading space and reading helpers to give them one-on-one attention.

Kleinberg Primary together with The Film Industry Fund, Breadline Africa and literacy development partner help2read are today delighted to announce the official opening of their new school library.

Created through the stunning conversion of shipping containers, or as in this case a prefabricated structure, Breadline Africa’s library development programme creates a bright, roomy and engaging space, fully equipped with age and stage appropriate reading resources and designed to engage learners by inculcating a love and desire for reading. Learners are aided by Volunteer Reading Helpers recruited, trained and supported by help2read, who commit to at least a year long programme of meeting one-on-one with learners for at least 30 minutes twice a week, helping them master reading for meaning and developing a love for it. help2read has been actively involved with Kleinberg Primary since 2006 and has helped some 380 children learn to read. W working with one child at a time, to help2read aims to overcome the challenge of low levels of literacy in South Africa.

The Film Industry Fund seeks to be a vehicle of change for the South African Film industry by supporting underprivileged communities and projects through local production companies’ contributions.

This exciting trio of influence has transformed an idea into a reality and now the children of Kleinberg Primary School can look forward to the multitude of opportunities that an inspired passion for reading will provide for their futures.

The Film Industry Fund donated this jungle gym to City Parks in October this month in Leeuwenhof Road in Higgovale. This structure was requested by Councilor Dave Bryant from Ward 77 and was paid for out of the allocation for Ward 77 which includes the CBD. by far the most filming within the City takes place in this ward. THis is the second jungle Gym donated to Ward 77, the first was constructed in the Bo Kaap in September 2014.

“This piece of public open space is incredibly special for the community and I have met with a number of residents in the past to discuss potential ideas to increase the usage and ensure that anti-social elements do not move in. By increasing local usage of these areas we can further improve vigilance and combat crime and anti-social behaviour. Special thanks must go to The Film Industry Fund NPC and all the contributing production companies for their generous financial donation towards the wooden play structure.” Councillor Dave Bryant

To date the Film Industry Fund has donated 4 Jungle Gyms to The City Parks department.

The Film Industry Fund this month installed the above Jungle Gym in conjunction with the City of Cape Town Parks department in Roger street in Zonnebloem. This is a new park established by the City and the Jungle Gym is one of the first improvements made to this park.

The donation was made out of the Film Industry Fund communal fund and amounts to R34 235,38.

This jungle gym is the second permanent structure the Film Fund has donated to the community since our very first donation was made in April 2014.

The Film Industry Fund continues to grow from strenght to strenght with more production companies registering to become donors on a regular basis.

Above: THis is an image taken before the installation of the new Jungle Gym